Washout plug



March 31, 1931 v. E. PERRY 1,798,491

WASH-OUT PLUG Filed Feb. 9, 1928 Qwuwntoz W'czar far/ Raf/3g PatentedMar. 31 1931 UNITED ,STATES VICTOR EARL PER-RY, on ST. LOUIS, MIssoUnrWASI-IOUT PLUG Application filed February 9, 1928. Serial No. 253,036.

This invention relates to washout plugs for steam boilers and the like,and has more particular reference to improvements on the type of plugfor this purpose that consists generally of a nipple secured in theboiler plate at a suitable point, and a' closure for the open outer endof the nipple to close the same when not in use.

An object of the invention'is to provide a nipple having a beveled orconvex seat on its end face that co-operates with the closure to form aleak-proof joint. This form of seat provides an efiicient seal and hasbeen hitherto employed, but the present invention con- 16 templates thatthe seat shall be convex and at the extreme end of the nipple, so thatit can be easily kept clean and will not be liable to become filled withdirt, as might occur if V the seat were a groove or of concaveformation.

Another object is to provide a renewable seat portion on the nipple thatcan be removed and replaced when worn so that it will not becomenecessary to remove the entire nipple from the boiler plate when theseat becomes leaky, since the nipples are usually welded to, as well asscrewed into, the boiler plate, and

their removal and replacement is an expensive procedure, and is liableto ruin the screwthreads in the opening for the nipple in the boilerplate.

A. further object is to secure the seat portion to the body portion sothat it will be tightly held thereby, and yet may be removed therefromwithout damaging the body portion.

Other objects and advantages, more or less auxiliary to the foregoing,will appear in the course of the following description of a preferredembodiment of the invention, that has been selected for the purpose ofillustrating the principles of the invention, and not in a limitingsense. 1

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, inwhich like numbers of reference denote like parts wherever they occur.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the outer end of able seat portion or washer;

Figure 2 is a bottom View of the closure oi plug that closes the outerend of the nipr, V

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the washer;

Figure 4: is a plan view of the outer end of the nipple as its appearswith the washer in place thereon; and

Figure 5 is an axial sectional View of the complete plug, showing theclosure tightly seated against the washer securely held in the nipple. Vr

The nipple 1 is a hollow substantially cylindrical body, the lowerportion of which is exteriorly threaded at 2 so as to fit within theusual interiorly threaded opening 3 formed in a wall 4 of'a locomotiveboiler, or a'wall of a tank or other container. The upper or outerportion 5 of the exterior annular face ofthe body 1 is preferablyknurled or' otherwise roughened to aiforda secure hold for a suitabletool that may be employed to screw the nipple into the opening 3. Thenipple 1 is interiorly screw-threaded at-6 to fit the screwthreads 7formed exteriorly on the hollow stem 8 of the closure or plug 9. I Theouter end face 10 of the nipple 1 is provided with an an nular groovelllthat presents opposing outer and inner'cylindrical lateral surfaces 12and 13, respectively. A. washer or renewable seat portion 14.- presentsa shouldered and flanged rear face 15 the shoulder 16 thereof abuttingagainst the end face 10 of: the nipple and the flange 17 thereofentering'the groove 11 and tightly fitting therein. -The washer 14presents a convex outer face 18 that rises from the end face 10 andforms a seat for an annular groove 19in the bottom face or shoulder-20of the flange 21 of the plug 9. The outer end 22 of the plug'9 is ofnutformation so that it may be engaged by a wrench to facilitate thescrewing of the plug'9 in the nipple 1.- The groove 19 presents innerand outer opposing lateral surfaces 23 and 243, respectively, thatconverge toward the bottom of the-groove and that are adapted to engagecorrespondingly beveled inner and outer opposing lateral sure faces25and 26, respectively, of thewasher 14. The bottom 27 of the groove 19spaced apart from the top or planeface 2 8 of-the washer 1 1 when theclosure is place in order to insurethe engagement of the lateralsurfaces 23 and 24 of the groove 19 with the lateral surfaces 25 and 26of the washer 14. The nipple 1 and closure plug 9 may be formed of anysuitable material, such, for instance, as malleable cast iron, while thewasher 14 is preferably formed of a softer or more yieldable material,such as a suitable bronze. The threads 7 of the plug 9 loosely fit thethreads 6 of the nipple 1 in order to allow sufficient play toinsure'the intimate engagement of the washer 14 and plug 9 at-allpoints.

It will be observed that the pressure exerted by the plug 9 on thewasher 14 tends to force the washer more tightly into the groove 11 asWell as to insure a good seal between the washer and the groove 19 ofthe plug because of the beveled seats; but the Washer will always fitmore tightly inthe groove 11 than in the groove 19, because of theparallel sides of the groove 11 and the beveled sides of the groove 19.However, since the sides 12 and 13 of the groove 11 are cylindrical andparallel, instead of dove-tail formation, no especial difficulty ispresented when it is desired to remove the washer from the nipple.Furthermore, since the washer risesabove the end face of the nipple, itis easily kept clean.

The inner end .af the nipple may project into the boilerbey-ond theinner side of the wall 4, as shown in Figure 5; and, if desired, thisprojected end portion of the nipple may be peened or rolled outwardlyagainst the inner side of the wall, thereby insuring a still betterunion between the nipple and the boiler wall.

Having thus fully described this invention, I hereby reserve the benefitof all changes in I form, arrangement, order, or. use of parts,

as it is evident that many minor changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the,

spirit of this invention or the scope of the following claims. 1 r i Iclaim:

1. In a washout plug, a nipple, a closure for an end of the nipple, anda washer presenting a convex front face adapted for engagement with saidclosure and a shouldered and flanged rear face, the shoulder thereofabutting the end-face of the nipple and the flange thereof entering andtightly engaging the nipple.

2. A washout plug including a nipple, a closure for an end of the saidnipple, an annular groove in the outer end face of said nipplepresenting opposing cylindrical lateral surfaces, an annular groove inthe closure presenting opposing sides that converge toward the bottom ofthe groove and a renewable washer presenting a peripheral shoulderadapted to abut the end face of said'nipple and a flange entering thegroove thereof, and having a convex outer face portion rising from saidend face to form a seat for the annular groove in said closure.

3. A washout plug including a nipple, a closure for an end ofsaidnipple, an annular groove in the outer end face of said nipplepresenting opposing cylindrical lateral surfaces, an annular groove inthe closure presenting opposing sides that converge toward the bottom ofthe groove and a renewable washer presenting a peripheral shoulder. Vadaptedto abut theend face of said nipple and a flange entering thegroove thereof, and having a convex outer face portion rising from saidend face, to form a seat for the annular groove in said closure, saidwasher further presenting a plane face adapted to be spaced from thebottom of the groove in the closure when the latter is inplace.

4. A washout plug including a nipple, a closure for an end of saidnipple, an annular groove in the outer end face of said nipplepresenting opposing cylindrical lateral surfaces, an annular groove inthe closure pre-. senting opposing sides that convergetoward the bottomof said groove and a renewable washer presenting a peripheral shoulderadapted to abut the end face of said nipple and a flange entering thegroove thereof, and having a convex outer face portion rising from saidend face, to form a seat for the annular groove in said closure, saidwasher further presenting a plane face adapted to be spaced from thebottom of the groove in the closure when tne latter is in place the arrangement of grooves being such that said washer fits more tightly inthe groove in the outer end face of said nipple.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

VIGTOR'EARLPERRY,

